Mechanics were the source of the Bills' Josh Allen's rise in 2020

Every season since 2020, Josh Allen has had two things: top-10 statistical performance and Stefon Diggs. Following a trade with the Houston Texans on April 3rd, 2024, Josh Allen's dynamic duo with star receiver Stefon Diggs came to an end. Many now believe that we will see a regression in Josh Allen’s performance next season, attributing Allen’s success solely to the presence of Diggs. This view fails to look at the picture as a whole and consider other contributing factors, mainly the work put in by QB1 off the field.

It is widely known that Allen works with a personal quarterback coach, Jordan Palmer, as well as the one that is staffed on the team. Since the pre-draft process and during the offseason, Allen has worked with Palmer to improve his arm mechanics, footwork, and game knowledge. The specific change Palmer is widely known to have influenced Allen is his arm mechanics.

During an interview with Pat McAfee on his then YouTube Channel in December of 2020, Allen revealed that during his time with Palmer during the 2020 offseason, he underwent body scans that mapped his throwing motion. This Facebook post, by Dari Motion, the company whose mapping technology was used, shows how it was done. Using Allen's entire body in its analysis, Dari Motion precisely tracked the movement speed and timing of individual body parts during his throw.

It was shown that Allen was not throwing with his arm and hips in sync. When throwing, to gain maximum power and accuracy, you need to properly incorporate your legs and hips into the motion. So, essentially, everything we had seen from Josh Allen on the field up to that point had been with just his arm.

The major talking point about Allen coming out of the draft was that he had all the characteristics of a top-end quarterback but he lacked the polish. This was part of the polish. This work is a huge part of his ascension to MVP level. Diggs' arrival coincided with this but was not the cause. It is not realistic to say anyone would produce at the level Diggs did with Allen, but it is also unrealistic to say that no one else could either. The Bills have some work cut out for them; they need to find Allen another receiver, but the situation is not dire. Josh Allen improved his skills; those do not walk out the door when a receiver does.